Intoxicating Desserts

Crêpes Suzette

While restaurants traditionally make the buttery, orange-flavored sauce for this famous dessert tableside from start to finish, Pépin finds it easier to prepare largely in advance when entertaining. He flambés the liquor in front of his dinner guests and pours it over the platter of crêpes while still flaming.

Sour-Cherry Lambic Sorbet

"Above all, sorbet should taste—and feel—almost like eating fresh fruit," says ice cream maker Jeni Britton, who makes this sorbet with an old-fashioned style of Belgian beer called lambic, which is made with wild yeasts.

• Frozen Dessert Recipes

Chocolate-Bourbon Tart

Michael Glissman's tart is like a dark-chocolate truffle in a crisp, flaky cocoa crust. Bourbon adds a wonderful smokiness; be sure to heat it carefully with the sugar so it doesn't ignite.

• More Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate-Red Wine Cake

A recipe in Anne Willan's 2001 Cooking with Wine inspired this fluffy, not-too-sweet cake, which uses just enough wine in the batter to give it a slight boozy flavor.

• More Great Chocolate Desserts

Almond, Elderflower and Lime Travel Cakes

Inspired by French travel cakes (small sweets meant for bringing to parties, picnics and other events), William Werner created these miniature desserts. He calls them "gussied-up pound cakes."

• More Great Cakes